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Old 11-09-2016, 10:32 AM
 
Location: Greater Orlampa CSA
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Was just curious about this. Is there somewhere as far east as say Balcones Canyonlands or something that type around Austin where even though it doesn't technically qualify as a desert, in it's appearance it looks a little like that?
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Old 11-09-2016, 01:28 PM
 
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I think the Hill Country looks a little like a desert but not really.Abilene/San Angelo is closer to Far West Texas than the Hill Country.I think Abilene/San Angelo looks even more desert-like than the Hill Country.
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Old 11-10-2016, 05:40 AM
 
Location: Greater Orlampa CSA
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Thanks! Yeah, I was just curious about this. A place like enchanted rock would seem to be more western looking, but then again in pictures I've seen Hill Country looks at least somewhat lush in many parts otherwise it wouldn't be able to support wine country.
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Old 11-10-2016, 08:15 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cavsfan137 View Post
Thanks! Yeah, I was just curious about this. A place like enchanted rock would seem to be more western looking, but then again in pictures I've seen Hill Country looks at least somewhat lush in many parts otherwise it wouldn't be able to support wine country.
Your welcome.
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Old 11-10-2016, 01:28 PM
 
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Grapes actually don't require that much rainfall (water) while they are growing and with too much rainfall they get diseases. I'd agree that Abilene/San Angelo areas are desert-ish but not actually deserts. Any place that features lots of spiky plants like prickly pear and yucca is basically desert-ish. Those types of plants need ameneded, well drained soil to survive in the Dallas or Houston area as pooled water will rot their roots.

The unique characteristic of the Hill County in my opinion is the huge number of springs which is where you can get some surprisingly lush lowland mixed in with desert-ish high ground.
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Old 11-10-2016, 09:34 PM
 
Location: Houston
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I'm a bit puzzled by the OP's question, which prompts me to wonder if there's a lack of agreement on what constitutes a desert. First off, doesn't Austin have an average annual rainfall similar to Portland Oregon? (Which people don't think of as being a desert.)

The main physiographical thing that affects people's perception is that Austin sits astride a significant change in the surface geology -- from thick topsoil on the east side to thin topsoil overlying limestone/marlstone to the west.

That change in near-surface conditions does affect what grows on it ... but, in my opinion, you have to go much further west to see real desert vegetation. If you want to see a lot of desert-looking plants like sotol, you can head down to the Bandera area west of SA. But, despite that, it is still pretty green there. As I recall, the Balcones Canyonlands area has a similar amount of green vegetation, just not quite as much sotol.
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Old 11-10-2016, 09:48 PM
 
Location: Houston
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Maybe a better way to frame the OP's question would be to name a place that has the type of vegetation and/or surface geology that has the desired "deserty" look and then ask about what would be the furthest place east that would be similar. For example, I'd be interested in knowing what such place would still look kinda like the terrain around Marathon. For me, Ft. Stockton (north of Marathon) is different from that. The Sheffield area (east of Ft. Stockton) seems a bit more rugged, but looks like a drier version of Balcones Canyonlands.
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Old 11-11-2016, 07:56 AM
 
Location: Sacramento Mtns of NM
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There are a number of old threads in this Texas forum that deal with the question of "where does the desert begin/end in Texas?" Any map of the Chihuahuan desert will answer that question. Just one such thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/texas/1315842-what-part-tx-not-desert.html


As for the Hill Country, a variety of both cactus and agave/yucca can be found growing throughout the region, often in fields covered in bluebonnets and Indian paint brush in the spring.


Last edited by joqua; 11-11-2016 at 08:07 AM..
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Old 11-11-2016, 08:23 AM
 
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Quote:
often in fields covered in bluebonnets and Indian paint brush in the spring.
Wildflowers basically grow best in poor soil conditions - basically the same ones that support cactus. Ever seen how few bluebonnets people have in actual gardens - it's not because they don't like them or because you can't buy seeds.
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Old 11-11-2016, 09:38 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by madrone2k View Post
I'm a bit puzzled by the OP's question, which prompts me to wonder if there's a lack of agreement on what constitutes a desert. First off, doesn't Austin have an average annual rainfall similar to Portland Oregon? (Which people don't think of as being a desert.)

The main physiographical thing that affects people's perception is that Austin sits astride a significant change in the surface geology -- from thick topsoil on the east side to thin topsoil overlying limestone/marlstone to the west.

That change in near-surface conditions does affect what grows on it ... but, in my opinion, you have to go much further west to see real desert vegetation. If you want to see a lot of desert-looking plants like sotol, you can head down to the Bandera area west of SA. But, despite that, it is still pretty green there. As I recall, the Balcones Canyonlands area has a similar amount of green vegetation, just not quite as much sotol.
There is lack of agreement on what constitutes a desert.Far West Texas is the only desert region in the state.
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